Lesson Plan for 2014-01-13: Mount Escapes – Upa & Elbow

Tonight we take a look at two variations of escaping the mount. First, we have the classic Upa. This is usually the first escape from mount that is taught. Next, we will cover the elbow escape. I’ve chosen these two escapes from mount because they demonstrate two different ways of thinking about a mount escape.

For the Upa, we are dealing with an opponent that is using their hips and body weight to immobilize your hips. This typically means that their hips are low to the ground, as well as directly over your hips or stomach. This is a commonly covered self defense scenario, and the upa is an ideal method for flipping your attacker onto their back. In this respect, an Upa is very much like a sweep, where you are blocking one side of your opponents body and pivoting them over that side.

The elbow escape takes a different tack. Instead of initiating a sideways sweep motion, you create space by elevating your opponents hips and effectively pushing yourself away from them so you can recover your guard. This is a little more advanced, but is more likely to work against opponents who have some grappling skill and are expecting the Upa. This particular escape also demonstrates a scenario where you feel like you are in danger of a choke, but the proper execution of the technique prevents this from happening. Recognizing impotent chokes is a very useful skill that allows you to exploit your opponent willingly immobilizing one of their arms.